DEL MAR, Calif. - Beat Hollow may have one chink in his armor, but it is not likely to show Sunday when he starts as the dominant favorite in the Grade 1, $400,000 Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar.

Back-to-back Grade 1 wins this spring have earned Beat Hollow the reputation as the nation's top turf horse, a consensus trainer Bobby Frankel does not dispute. "Up to a certain distance, he probably is the best. Right now, a mile and an eighth, to a mile and quarter, is probably his best distance."

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Whether it is called the Maskette or the Go for Wand, the Grade 1 race for fillies and mares has trainer Shug McGaughey's name written all over it.

Since 1988, McGaughey has won this race (known as the Maskette before 1992) six times, including last year with Serra Lake. Sunday, McGaughey will seek his seventh victory when he sends out Atelier against Grade 1 winners Miss Linda and Forest Secrets as, well as stakes winners Dancethruthedawn, With Ability and Too Scarlet. Transcendental, runner-up in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, completes the field.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Once again, the Bernard Baruch belonged to Bill Mott and Jerry Bailey.

After stalking the pace for seven furlongs, Del Mar Show engaged the front-running Volponi turning for home and persevered to a neck victory over that rival in Friday's $150,000, Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap before 17,598 at Saratoga. It was a nose back to 2-1 favorite Forbidden Apple.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Patrick Biancone doesn't expect Whywhywhy's victory in Thursday's Sanford Stakes to be his last stakes victory of the meet.

Friday morning, both Mayakovsky and Zavata indicated they are ready to get Biancone's picture taken a few more times with solid workouts over Saratoga's main track.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Since early spring, Bear Fan has been targeting Sunday's $100,000 Fleet Treat Stakes at Del Mar.

Following a maiden win in her debut by a convincing four lengths on the California Gold Rush program at Hollywood Park on April 28, trainer and co-owner Wesley Ward has had his sights set on the Fleet Treat, a restricted race run over seven furlongs for California-bred 3-year-old fillies.

"We are ready," Ward said Friday. "I'm looking for a big effort."

DEL MAR, Calif. - Mizzen Mast is finished for the year, trainer Bobby Frankel said Friday. The 4-year-old colt, winner of the Grade 1 Malibu and Grade 2 Strub during the winter meet at Santa Anita, was injured in a July 15 workout at Hollywood Park and will be sidelined until next season.

"It's not a major thing, and the vet even said we could go on with him, but it would be taking too much of a risk," Frankel said. He declined to be specific. "We're going to stop on him, give him plenty of time, and bring him back next year, probably get ready for summer."

DEL MAR, Calif. - The $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Aug. 4 lost its second leading candidate in a week when trainer Paco Gonzalez said Friday that Came Home would pass the race in favor of the $200,000 King's Bishop Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 24.

War Emblem, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, was declared from the Haskell on Tuesday after the death of owner Prince Ahmed bin Salman. In addition, trainer Bob Baffert said he was dissatisfied with War Emblem's 124-pound weight assignment.

Belmont Park's 55-day spring/ summer meet that ended on July 21 had significant increases in attendance and handle.

Total commingled handle on only Belmont races rose 13 percent from a year ago to $657,789,145. Total handle, which included simulcasting at Belmont, rose 12 percent to $682,430,355.

Ontrack attendance, buoyed by the largest Belmont Stakes Day crowd in history (103,222) was up 5 percent to 465,220.

Ontrack handle on NYRA races increased 2 percent to $82,740,074. Ontrack handle, including simulcasting, improved 1 percent to $107,381,284.

DEL MAR, Calif. - For the second consecutive year, the Los Angeles County Fair may ask the California Horse Racing Board for permission to relocate its 2003 race meeting away from Fairplex Park in Pomona, track officials told the board's dates committee on Friday.

Earlier this year, Fairplex Park asked the board for permission to move its September meeting from Pomona to Santa Anita. The request was denied by the board in late June.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio - Thistledown and Beulah Park have reached an agreement to revive the "seven and seven" race format when Beulah Park reopens on Sept. 14.

Three Ohio tracks - Thistledown, Beulah Park, and River Downs - had raced under the format from 1993 until 2001. The format called for Thistledown and either Beulah or River to alternate races during a 14-race combined card.

Gus George, the president of the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, said the resurrection of the format will boost purses at both tracks.